Manufacturer	Edirol
Website	Edirol PCR-50
Price	$249.95
Rating	Select ratingPoorOkayGoodGreatAwesome Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

There are 2 similar keyboards from Edirol : the PCR-50 reviewed here has 49 keys and the smaller PCR-30 has 32 keys is built around the same deisgn. There are also octave controls, letting you expand your keyboard keys range by going up or down an octave.
The first thing I appreciated about this keyboard is the number of controllers, and their diversity. With 8 rotary knobs, 8 faders,
9 buttons (toggle or not) and the Modulation/Pitch controller, you can easily design very complex controls for your visuals. There are also pedal inputs, if you connect them to the PCR-50 you'll be able to access them as controllers via the MIDI keyboard connection with the computer.

A second positive point for this unit is the USB connection. With USB you don't need any extra power : both Data and Power are supplied via the USB port. There is also MIDI in and MIDI out, if you want to daisy chain many MIDI controllers, and a power supply if you don't use USB. Among other accesories, you will find both blank and filled overlay templates, you can also print your own from a PDF file.

The PCR-50 also has memory settings that can last even when you disconnect the unit. As an example, I use memory setting 5 together with Omni setting set to ON (to put all controllers on the same MIDI channel) to access all the buttons, faders and knobs as controllers for visualJockey. The only thing I have to do with my keyboard during a setup is select memory setting 5 and I'm done. You can also build your own settings and save them, but using a standard template (memory 5 is made for Cubase) allows me use any other PCR-50 keyboard without having to redesign a memory preset. I can also share visualJockey compositions built around this same setting easily since it's accessable by all PCR-50 (probably all PCR-30 too).

The unit is made of plastic but it doesn't seem to be too fragile. Even if it's not heavy for it's size, it is quite large and it wouldn't fit in a backpack, maybe the PCR-30 is small enough for that though. The controllers are much more precise than on the Oxygen8, it is much easier to make small steps changes on the PCR-50 faders and knobs.

Lastly, their is the Vlink mode allwing you to control an Edirol DV7-PR video console. I haven't tested this since I don't have such a console. Another piece of hardware having Vlink connection is the Edirol V4 video mixer, but I don't think it's possible to use Vlink between a V4 and a PCR-50 directly, you would need a DV7-PR in the middle.

VJ Many-2